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Tewkesbury
The Battle of Tewkesbury
The Bloody Meadow was the site of the final & decisive encounter in the Cousins Wars - Wars of the Roses
It defeated the Lancastrian King Henry VI & brought the Yorkist Edward IV back to the throne.
Tewkesbury History website Here
Edward Duke of York , fresh from his victory at Barnet, where he had defeated the Earl of Warwick and reclaimed his throne, now sought to annihilate the Lancastrian dynasty. On 3 May 1471( some websites say 4th) at the Battle of Tewkesbury he almost achieved this aim when his forces routed the Lancastrians . During the fighting Edward, Prince of Wales, died age 17 the heir of Henry VI .
The battle of Tewkesbury was a decisive encounter, which ended the second phase of the Wars of the Roses. Edward IV's victory and the death of Henry VI’s son and heir, shortly followed by Henry’s own death and Queen Margaret’s imprisonment, destroyed hopes of a Lancastrian succession and led to fourteen years peace.
Tewkesbury "set the stage for the rise of the Tudor dynasty. Its impact on the political and social landscape of England was profound and long-lasting."
Armies: Yorkist under King Edward IV; Lancastrian under Duke of Somerset
Numbers: Yorkist: about 4,000. Numbers Lancastrian: about 5,000.
Losses: Yorkist about 500. Losses Lancastrian about 2,000.
The Lancastrian army numbered approximately 6,000, slightly more than the Yorkist
The Battle of Tewkesbury & the subsequent Yorkist rule restored political stability to England until the death of Edward IV in 1483.
Sir St.Clere Pomeroy the 1st heir to the barony of Berry Pomeroy was at the Battle of Tewkesbury .
His IPM Inquisition post mortem - states he died on 31 May 1471
Which side he was fighting on is unclear as he is not listed, & we do not know where he was buried.
However the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society includes him amongst the Lancastrians
We know his feudal overlord Sir Phillip Courtenay swapped sides and ended up on the winning Yorkist side.
Phillip Courtenay was not only was a company commander but was also father-in-law to St Clere Pomeroy who had married Kathryn one of Sir Phillips daughters about 9 years before this fateful day .As a young knight Sy Ckere would have followed his overloads lead, but whichever side he died for
Kathryn his young wife lost not just her husband but other family members too.
YORKISTS
LANCASTRIANS
Sir Henry Beaumont of Wednesbury, knighted after battle
Sir Maurice Berkeley of Beverstone, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Bingham of Welcome Bingham, knighted after battle
Sir Humphrey Blount of Kinlet, knighted after battle
Sir Edward Brampton, godson to Edward IV
Sir William Brandon of Sohan Court, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Brooke, Lord Cobham, knighted after battle
Sir George Browne of Betchworth, knighted after battle
Sir John Clay of Cheshnut, knighted after battle
Sir Richard Corbet of Moreton Corbet, knighted after battle
Sir Thomas Cornewall of Berrington, knighted after battle
John Courtenay of Exminster and Kenn, knighted and made a banneret at Tewkesbury
Sir Philip Courtenay of Kingston and Molland, knighted
Sir John Crocker of Lineham, knighted after battle, standard bearer to Edward IV
Sir Richard Croft of Croft, knighted after battle
Sir James Crowner of Tunstall, knighted on the field after battle
Sir John Donne of Kidwelly, knighted after battle
Sir Henry Ferrers of Peckham, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Ferrers, knighted after battle
Sir Robert Green of Hayes, knighted after battle
Sir Henry Grey of Crawdon, knighted and made banneret after battle
Sir Thomas Grey, Lord Ferrers, Marquis of Dorset, part command of the right wing
Sir Robert Harrington of Badsworth, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Harley of Brampton, knighted after battle
Sir Ralph Hastings of Harrowden and Wanstead, knighted at Tewkesbury and created banneret
Sir Richard Hastings, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir William Hastings, Lord Hastings, commanded the right wing
Sir John Heveningham of Heveningham, created knight banneret
Sir Roger Kynaston of Middle and Hordley, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Nicholas Latimer of Duntish, created knight banneret after Tewkesbury
Sir John Lingen of Sutton and Stoke Edith, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Nicholas Longford of Longford, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Thomas Montgomery of Faulkborn, joined Edward IV’s army at Nottingham, fought at Barnet and Tewkesbury, escorted Margaret of Anjou home to France
Sir Simon Montfort of Coleshill, created knight banneret after Tewkesbury
Sir Christopher Moresby of Scaleby and Windermere, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Williwm Motton of Pickleton, knighted at Tewkesbury
John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, hereditary Earl Marshall of England, presided over the trial of the Lancastrian prisoners with Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Sir George Neville, Lord of Abergavenny, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Parr of Westminster, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Henry Pierrepoint of Holbeck Woodhouse, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Pilkington of Pilkington and Sowerby. knighted at Tewkesbury
Edward Plantagenet, King Edward IV, commanded the Yorkist forces
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, brother to Edward VI and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, fought with the middle ward of the army
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III, brother to Edward IV and George, Duke of Clarence, commanded the left wing of the Yorkist army
Sir Poole, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Laurence Rainsford of Rainsford, Queen Margaret stayed at Gupshill Manor before the battle; afterwards the manor house was in the possession of the Rainsford family
Sir Richard Ratcliff, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Roger Ree of Woodham Ferrers, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Terry Robsart of Norfolk, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John St. Lo of Chew Magna, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir William Sandys of The Vyne and Andover, Hants, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Savage of Clifton, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Saunders, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Skrene of Essex, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir John Stanley of Elford, created knight banneret
Sir William Stanley of Holt, created knight banneret
Sir Thomas Strickland of Sizergh, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Roger Tocotes of Bromham, created knight banneret
Sir James Tyrell of Gipping, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Thomas Vaughn, in exile with Edward IV, fought at Barnet and Tewkesbury
Sir John Willoughby, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Henry Wingfield, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Thomas Wingfield, knighted at Tewkesbury
Sir Edward Wodehouse of Kimberley, knighted at Tewkesbury
Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales & Lancastrian heir to the throne
died age 17 on the battlefield.
Sir John Arundel of Lanherne, received a general pardon on 19 July, 1471, for being at Tewkesbury
Sir Humphrey Audley, executed after battle
Henry Barron, killed in battle
John Basset, taken prisoner and later pardoned, died in 1485
Sir Robert Baynton of Farleston, taken prisoner and later pardoned, died in 1472
Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, commanded the Lancastrian army, executed after battle
John Beaufort, Marquesss of Dorset, killed in battle
Sir William Boteler of Warrington, died 8 June, 1471 from wounds in battle
John Butler, Earl of Ormond, reported killed in battle
Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormond, received a pardon after battle
Sir William Cary of Cockington, executed after battle
Robert Clerke, executed after battle
Sir Gervaise Clifton of Brabourne, executed after battle
Sir Hugh Courtenay, executed after battle
John Courtenay, Earl of Devon, son of Hugh Courtnay, killed during battle
Walter Courtenay of Exeter, killed in battle
Thomas Cruyws of Cruyws Morchard, according to family tradition either died from wounds received in battle or executed after battle
John Daunt of Wootton-under-edge, killed in battle
Sir John Delves, executed after battle
Sir William Fielding of Lutterworth, killed in battle
Sir Thomas Fitzhenry of Monnington, reported slain by Warkworth, but mentioned in August 1471 as being pardoned
John Flory, standard bearer to the Duke of Somerset, executed after battle
Sir John Fortescue, pardoned after battle
Sir Thomas Fulford, pardoned after battle
Sir John Giles, pardoned after battle
Mr. Gough, executed after battle
John Gower of Clapham, sword bearer to Edward of Lancaster, executed after battle
Sir William Grimsby of Grimsby, pardoned after battler
Sir Edward Hampden of Beckley, killed in battle
William Hemmer, died in battle
Sir Nicholas Hervey of Eastbury in Godalming, killed in battle
Robert Jackson, executed after battle
William Joseph, King’s secretary, received pardon on 17 December 1471
Sir Robert Knollys, killed in battle
Lechfield of Westminster, beheaded after battle
Sir William Lermouth of Bamburgh, killed in battle
Sir John Lewkenor of West Grinstead, killed at Tewkesbury
Dr Ralph Makerell, Parson of Risby, companion of Queen Margaret and John Morton, pardoned by Edward IV after battle
Lewis Miles, Lancastrian squire, beheaded after battle
Dr. John Morton of Bere Regis, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal, pardoned after battle
Sir William Newburgh of East Lulworth, executed after battle
John Parker, squire, pardoned by Edward IV after battle
Sir Henry Roos of West Grinstead, executed after battle
Sir John Seymour, knight, killed in battle
Sir Thomas Seymour, knight, killed in battle
Thomas Tarlaway, killed in battle
John Throckmorton of Haresfield, pardoned after battle
Sir Thomas Thresham of Sywell, executed after battle
John Turnbull of Calais, beheaded after battle
Sir John Urman, killed in battle
Sir William Vaux of Harrowden, killed in battle
John, Lord Wenlock of Someries, joint commander of the Lancastrian centre, killed by the Duke of Somerset
Sir Robert Whittingham of Salden, killed at Tewkesbury
John Walleys, pardoned after battle
Henry Wrottesley, killed at Tewkesbury
John Wroughton of Broad Hinton, Lancastrian squire, pardoned after battle
The Lancastrian king, Henry VI of England, was made prisoner in the Tower of London where he died, or was murdered, shortly after the battle.
Queen Margaret of Anjou, was taken prisoner after battle but pardoned as “Ladye Margaret qwene” and then ransomed to her relative, the French king. She went to live in France as a poor relation of the French king.
The Prince of Wales Henry VI's son, the 17 year old Edward of Lancaster , was killed on the field of battle.
https://sites.google.com/site/pomeroytwigs2/home
from the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society
...at Exeter in April 1471 ... Sir John Arundell of Lanherne (Cornwall), Sir Hugh Courtenay of Boconnoc (Cornwall) and many others on whom they had any trust, and, in substance, they arrayed the whole might of Cornwall and Devonshire. The ‘whole might’ would have included Henry Barrow, Sir John Basset, Sir StClere Pomeroy, Sir Thomas Cruwys, Sir William Cary and many others
Gubshill or Gupshill
As day broke on 3rd May, the Lancastrians took up a defensive position a mile south of the town of Tewkesbury. To their rear were River Avon and the Severn. Tewkesbury Abbey was just behind the Lancastrian centre.
A farmhouse then known as Gobes Hall marked the centre of the Lancastrian position; nearby was "Margaret's camp", earthworks of uncertain age. Queen Margaret the wife of the Lancastrian king, Henry called the 'sleeping king' is said to have spent the night at Gobes Hall ( Gupshill Manor or Gubshill Manor ) , before hastily taking refuge on the day of battle in a religious house some distance from the battlefield.
(AJP, who knows the area, suggests this might have been at Deerhurst which is 3 miles to the south of Tewkesbury. The Priory there was granted to Tewkesbury Abbey, by the Crown, in 1467. The Priory, now a Farmhouse, adjoins the church.)
Deerhurst Church & adjoining Farmhouse
Tewkesbury Abbey C20th
Photographs by AJP
To the Victors the spoils or in this case, the slaughter. A dreadful & bloody vengeance was done in & around Tewkesbury that week in May 1471, as was customary after most battles of the time.
King Edward IV attended prayers in the Abbey shortly after the battle. He granted permission forthe dead Lancastrian Prince of Wales, Edward, & other nobles slain in the battle, to be buried within the Abbey .The rest of the dead where buried elsewhere in the town without being quartered as traitors as was customary.
Although the Abbey was not officially a sanctuary some of the Lancastrian nobles & knights sought refuge in Tewkesbury Abbey. However it is doubtful whether this would have deterred the victorious Edward of York. He broke sanctuary & dragged the Duke of Somerset and other leaders out of the Abbey. On the orders of Richard Duke of Gloucester & the Duke of Norfolk the prisoners were given perfunctory trials & summarily executed. Among them were Hugh Courtenay, younger brother of the Earl of Devon, & Sir John Langstrother, the prior of the military order of St. John. A month later, after the violence of battle, the Abbey was reconsecrated to restore its sanctity.
below- Tewkesbury under flood
Below- The Mill on the Avon
more about the Wars of the Roses HERE and about the Battle of Twekesbury HERE
a stained glass window from Tewkesbury Abbey
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